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Thursday, 30 October 2014

Apple Boss Tim Cook Comes Out As A Gay: "Says Im Proud To Be One"

Tim Cook, the CEO of technology giant Apple, has publicly addressed his sexuality for the first time.

In a moving open letter published on the Bloomberg Businessweek, he writes that he is “proud to be gay” and considers being gay “among the greatest gifts God has given me”.

“Being
gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the
minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other
minority groups deal with every day,” he writes.
“It’s made me
more empathetic, which has led to a richer life. It’s been tough and
uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself,
to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry. It’s
also given me the skin of a rhinoceros, which comes in handy when you’re
the CEO of Apple.”

He went on to describe the changing attitudes
of society towards the LGBT community since he was a child, and praised
the brave public figures who have come out for challenging existing
misconceptions and encouraging cultural tolerance.

Still, there are laws on the books in a majority of states that allow
employers to fire people based solely on their sexual orientation,” he
continues.

“There are many places where landlords can evict tenants for
being gay, or where we can be barred from visiting sick partners and
sharing in their legacies. Countless people, particularly kids, face
fear and abuse every day because of their sexual orientation.

“I
don’t consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I’ve benefited
from the sacrifice of others.

So if hearing that the CEO of Apple
is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she
is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to
insist on their equality, then it’s worth the trade-off with my own
privacy.”

The decision to publicly come out “wasn’t an easy
choice”, he adds, calling for others to continue to respect his privacy
over the matter.

“I’ve made Apple my life’s work, and I will
continue to spend virtually all of my waking time focused on being the
best CEO I can be. That’s what our employees deserve and our customers,
developers, shareholders, and supplier partners deserve it, too.

“Part
of social progress is understanding that a person is not defined only
by one’s sexuality, race, or gender. I’m an engineer, an uncle, a nature
lover, a fitness nut, a son of the South, a sports fanatic, and many
other things.

I hope that people will respect my desire to focus on the
things I’m best suited for and the work that brings me joy.”

He
ends the letter by describing the images of Martin Luther King and
Robert F. Kennedy that adorn his office desk for inspiration.

“I don’t pretend that writing this puts me in their league,” Cook concludes. “All it does is allow me to look at those pictures and know that I’m doing my part, however small, to help others.